MORE DODGERS

Once it became public that the Dodgers manager decided to swap out Ricky Nolasco for Clayton Kershaw about eight hours before Monday night’s Game 4 of the NL Division Series against Atlanta, it became open season to opine.

Even by those who had already started questioning Mattingly on Sunday afternoon for sticking by an announced decision to start Nolasco and not Kershaw while the series was still tied 1-1, a while before the Dodgers’ Game 3 victory.

“I expect Kershaw to be on his game if he did what he had to do (between starts),” said three-time Cy Young Award winner and one-time Dodger phenom Pedro Martinez, on the TBS MLB studio set in Atlanta, a segment live about three hours before the first pitch. “If it was short notice, this could come back and backfire on Mattingly.”

Dirk Hayhurst, the former fringe major league pitcher-turned-best-selling author with his hit memoir “The Bullpen Gospels” who was hand-picked to join the set by anchor Keith Olbermann, said: “It wreaks of panic. This is going to be dangerous for this guy to potentially injury himself. You don’t need to do it.”

Said Sports Illustrated writer and part-time Fox game analyst Tom Verducci: “I’m not sure if it’s panic, but it sure smells like it. (This is) a very unusual move. Maybe you do that in a World Series. I don’t know about first round of the playoffs.”

Martinez circled back: “It’s Mattingly rushing his team into a win. With all due respect to him, I think he should take it easy.”

Easy for them to say. But there was no time to rest between shows. Or wait for more information to become available.

ESPN’s “Pardon The Interruption” often has completed taping the day’s show, but when it aired at 2:30 p.m., Kershaw was the No. 1 topic.

Tony Kornheiser: “I can defend this intellectually, and I understand going for the throat, and Nolasco’s last three starts are 12 innings and 17 earned runs, but I think it’s nuts.”

Mike Wilbon: “I’m not risking the franchise pitcher, and for my money the best pitcher in all of baseball ... this isn’t the 1950s or ‘60s when guys routinely threw 180 pitches. You don’t do this anymore.”

The TBS telecast began with Kershaw as the storyline on the front, back and side burners. Eventually, the Mattingly pre-game interview session with the rest of the media became circulated.

Advertisement

Analyst Cal Ripken said that if the Dodgers lost Game 3 to go down 2-1 he would have endorsed Kershaw coming back, “but the more I think about (this situation), I really like it, aligning your two best pitchers to work the next two games. You can’t take anything for granted in the playoffs.”

Analyst Ron Darling explained that the Dodgers weeks ago had considered this strategy, but it took time for the staff and front office to broach Kershaw about the idea, afraid it might throw him off his routine.

“You always need a committee to make a decision for a king,” said Darling.

“But it is a big decision,” added Ripken.

On the KLAC-AM (570) radio call, Vin Scully began comparing Kershaw’s feats to those of Sandy Koufax during the post seasons of 1963 and ’65 — leaving out, of course, that arm trouble eventually ended Koufax’s career after the 1966 World Series.

At one point, in fact, Scully meant to say “Kershaw” and instead said “Koufax” but caught himself in time to finish the sentence “memory is lingering here in the ballpark.”

Scully was most aware of all the broadcasters of Kershaw’s pitch count, knowing that could come into play on how far he lasts. Scully also noted that the third and fourth inning were the trouble spots for Kershaw in Game 1, when he had 26 pitches in each of those innings.

After Kershaw finished four innings, however, neither the TV nor radio broadcasters (now Charley Steiner and Rick Monday) gave out his pitch total (it was 59), even though they continued to note that the Dodgers’ defense probably forced Kershaw to make a few extra pitches each inning.

By the time the fifth inning came around, a new tone set in. Kershaw’s arm hadn’t fallen off. In fact, he looked pretty good.

“To tell you the truth, I think he’s been sharper (tonight) than he was in his first start,” said Darling. “And that’s on three days’ rest.”

Yes, at this point, the rest of us are well aware of how many days it’s been. Give it a rest.